JP5111207B2 - Cooker - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for controlling a heating cooker such as a microwave oven provided with heating means for heating food and control means for controlling the heating means.

  Conventionally, the microwave oven which is this kind of heating cooker raises the temperature in the heating chamber to the cooking temperature by heating means in advance before putting the food into the heating chamber, and then puts the food in the heating chamber. A cooking method in which heating cooking is performed is generally used.

  Raising the temperature in the heating chamber to the cooking temperature before putting the food in the heating chamber is referred to as preheating. By performing the preheating, heating unevenness of the food can be reduced and the food can be quickly baked.

  FIG. 12 shows a control sequence of a conventional cooking device that performs preheating.

  In FIG. 12, the temperature in the heating chamber is detected by the temperature detection means, and when the detected temperature reaches the cooking temperature set by the setting means, it is determined that the preheating has ended, and the user is notified. Thereafter, when food is stored in the heating chamber, cooking is performed at the cooking temperature, and when food is not stored in the heating chamber, control is performed to maintain the temperature of the heating chamber within a predetermined temperature. Minutes to 30 minutes).

  Here, the time change of the air temperature in the heating chamber in the conventional cooking device is shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 11, heating is performed by the heating means from the initial temperature to the cooking temperature, and when the cooking temperature is reached, it is determined that the preheating has ended, and the user is notified. Then, the door which is an opening / closing part of the heating chamber is opened, and the food is stored in the heating chamber and heated.

  At this time, since the high-temperature air in the heating chamber is discharged to the outside of the heating chamber as the door is opened and closed, the air temperature in the heating chamber rapidly decreases when the door is opened and closed, and then reaches the cooking temperature after a return time t0. In the following, the food is cooked while maintaining the cooking temperature.

  As conventional cooking devices that perform such preheating, there are those shown in Patent Literature 1 to Patent Literature 5.

JP 55-166888 A JP-A-7-269876 JP 2000-97439 A Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-83737 JP 2006-250442 A

  In the conventional cooking device described in Patent Documents 1 to 5 described above, in the case of cooking to perform preheating, when the food is stored by opening and closing the door of the heating chamber after preheating, Since it is discharged outside the heating chamber and the air temperature in the heating chamber drops, it takes time t0 until the air temperature in the heating chamber returns to the cooking temperature, and the cooking time becomes longer. This is unavoidable because the food is stored by opening the door of the heating chamber after preheating. To reduce the temperature drop, open the door quickly after the preheating is completed and the food is put into the heating chamber. Store it and close the door.

  On the other hand, after the preheating, when the user is doing other cooking, food preparation is not in time, or the kitchen is left, the food is not stored in the heating chamber for the convenience of the user In addition, since the heating chamber is kept at the cooking temperature, useless energy is used while the cooking chamber is left unattended, and the amount of power consumed in cooking is larger than necessary.

  For example, in FIG. 11, when the door is opened and closed, a temperature drop of ΔT occurs from the temperature before the door is opened and closed, and then a return time t0 is required to return to the cooking temperature. The cooking time is increased by t0.

  During this return time t0, the heating means is driven to heat the air temperature in the heating chamber, and the power consumption is increased. In order to shorten the return time t0 as much as possible and reduce the power consumption, as described above, the door can be opened quickly after the preheating is completed, the food is stored in the heating chamber, and the door is closed.

  On the other hand, if the user is doing other cooking, food preparations are not in time, or the user leaves the kitchen or forgets that it has been preheated, the food in the heating chamber is for the convenience of the user. When left unstored, the temperature of the air in the heating chamber is consumed throughout the cooking process because the heating means continues to operate to maintain the cooking temperature as shown in FIG. There was a lot of power consumption.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems.
A heating chamber for storing food and cooking,
Heating means for heating the heating chamber;
Setting means for setting at least the cooking temperature and cooking time of the heating chamber;
Food detection means for determining the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber;
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the heating chamber;
Control means for controlling the heating means,
In a heating cooker for heating cooking by putting the food in the heating chamber after raising the temperature in the heating chamber to the cooking temperature set by the setting means by the heating means before putting the food in the heating chamber,
A first predetermined temperature having a predetermined temperature range for maintaining the air temperature in the heating chamber according to the cooking temperature set by the setting means;
Having a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature;
After detecting that the temperature in the heating chamber has reached the cooking temperature of the food by the temperature detection means, the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber is detected by the food detection means,
When food is present in the heating chamber, the amount of heat of the heating means is controlled by the control means so that the temperature in the heating chamber is within the first predetermined temperature range,
When no food is present in the heating chamber, the amount of heat of the heating means is controlled by the control means so as to be equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature.

  In Claim 2, after detecting that the temperature in the heating chamber has reached the cooking temperature by the temperature detection means, the amount of heat of the heating means is controlled by the control means based on the presence or absence of food storage detected by the food detection means. And controlling the air volume of the air blowing means.

In Claim 3, after detecting that the temperature in the heating chamber has reached the cooking temperature by the temperature detection means, the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber is detected by the food detection means,
When there is no food in the heating chamber, the air flow rate of the blowing unit is controlled by the control unit so that the temperature in the heating chamber is not less than the second predetermined temperature and not more than the first predetermined temperature. To do.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the food detection means is an open / close detection means for an open / close section that takes food in and out of the heating chamber.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the control means drives the heating means and the air blowing means in synchronization to maintain the temperature in the heating chamber at a first predetermined temperature.

  According to claim 1 of the present invention, the heating chamber has a first predetermined temperature having a temperature range corresponding to the cooking temperature set by the setting means, and a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature. The amount of heat of the heating means is controlled by the control means so that it is within the first predetermined temperature range when the food is present, and above the second predetermined temperature when no food is present in the heating chamber. If it does not exist in the heating chamber, it is controlled to a temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature range for cooking, and the temperature difference from the outside air is reduced, so that the temperature in the heating chamber decreases rapidly when the door is opened and closed. Can be suppressed. Therefore, when cooking with food in the heating chamber after preheating is completed, the recovery time to the cooking temperature is higher than when cooking with the food opened in the heating chamber while the cooking temperature is maintained. The heating time can be shortened and the power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, when the food does not exist in the heating chamber, the temperature in the heating chamber is lowered, so that it is possible to reduce the amount of power consumed for a series of cooking without adversely affecting the cooking of the food.

  According to claim 2, after the temperature in the heating chamber reaches the cooking temperature, the food detection means determines whether food is present in the heating chamber, and the control means determines the amount of heat of the heating means according to the presence or absence of food. Since the air volume of the air blowing means is controlled, the temperature in the heating chamber can be controlled more finely.

  Further, since the temperature in the heating chamber is adjusted by both the air volume of the blower means and the heat quantity of the heating means, the heating time can be shortened and the power consumption can be reduced as compared with the case where the temperature is controlled only by the heat quantity of the heating means.

  Further, by controlling the air volume of the air blowing means, it is possible to suppress the leakage of hot air from the heating chamber when the door is opened and closed.

  According to claim 3, when there is no food in the heating chamber, the temperature in the heating chamber is controlled by the air volume of the blowing means so that the temperature in the heating chamber is not lower than the second predetermined temperature and not higher than the first predetermined temperature. Therefore, the temperature control in the heating chamber can be performed with a small amount of power consumption.

  In addition, by controlling the temperature in the heating chamber to be equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature, the power consumption when holding the temperature in the heating chamber is reduced, and the temperature drop in the heating chamber when opening and closing the door is suppressed. Is possible.

  Therefore, since the temperature drop in the heating chamber is suppressed, the amount of power consumed for cooking can be reduced.

  In addition, even when the heating means is not adding heat, it is possible to adjust the temperature in the heating chamber by controlling the air volume of the blower means, so compared to the case where the heating chamber temperature is adjusted only by the heating means, A wider range of temperature adjustment is possible.

  According to the fourth aspect, since the food detection means is an opening / closing detection means of an opening / closing part for taking in and out food, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of food without requiring a complicated structure.

  In addition, since many of the conventional general cooking devices are equipped with an open / close detection means for the open / close section in order to prevent leakage of microwaves, by newly utilizing the open / close detection means as a food detection means, The power consumption reduction means can be easily applied to the conventional structure.

  In addition, by using the open / close detection means as the food detection means, it is possible to detect the presence or absence of food regardless of the shape or placement location of the food.

  According to the fifth aspect, when the food is present in the heating chamber, the control unit controls the heating unit and the blowing unit to be driven in synchronization. Therefore, when driving the heating unit, the blowing unit is simultaneously used. When driven, the hot air is uniformly diffused in the heating chamber to efficiently increase the temperature in the heating chamber, and when the heating means is stopped, the blowing means can be stopped simultaneously to suppress the temperature drop in the heating chamber.

  Therefore, power consumption can also be reduced in the cooking control when food is present in the heating chamber.

  Hereinafter, the heating cooker of the present invention will be described by taking, as an example, an electric microwave oven provided with a hot air heater as heating means and a hot air fan as air blowing means, and an electric microwave oven provided with a heater as heating means.

  Note that the present invention can be applied to a single-function cooking device such as a single-function oven or other cooking devices as long as the heating device and the control device are provided.

  A cooking device according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective sectional view of the heating cooker 1 of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram of the cooking device of the embodiment, and FIG. 4 is a control flowchart of the embodiment.

  The cooking device 1 of the present embodiment has a structure in which a heating chamber 2 and a machine room 3 provided below the heating chamber 2 are covered with a cabinet 11, and food is placed in the heating chamber 2. It is a heating cooker that performs cooking. A door 4 is provided in front of the heating chamber 2, and food is taken into and out of the heating chamber 2 by opening and closing the door 4.

  The machine room 3 accommodates a control means 30 for controlling heating means and air blowing means, which will be described later, and other heating means. In the present embodiment, the machine room 3 is shown below the heating room 2, but the positional relationship between the heating room 2 and the machine room 3 is not particularly limited. Moreover, although the door 4 is arrange | positioned in the front opening direction of the heating chamber 2, the opening / closing direction of the door 4 may be horizontal, and the position and direction of the door 4 are not particularly defined.

  The heating cooker 1 includes a flat heater 33 on the upper surface of the heating chamber 2, a hot air heater 34 on the rear surface of the heating chamber 2, and a magnetron 54 below the heating chamber 2 as heating means.

  The flat heater 33 installed on the upper surface of the heating chamber 2 is a heater that generates heat over the entire surface, and is a heating means that heats food by radiation heating from above the food.

  The hot air heater 34 installed on the back surface of the heating chamber 2 is provided with air blowing means including a hot air fan 35 and a hot air motor 36 in the vicinity, and the air heated by the hot air heater 34 is used as hot air to heat the heating chamber 2. The food is heated by forced convection heating.

  Here, the plane heater 33 and the hot air heater 34 can control the amount of heat generated by the hot air heater 34 by, for example, intermittently controlling driving and stopping.

  Further, for example, by intermittently controlling the driving and stopping of the hot air motor 36, the average number of rotations of the hot air fan 35 can be changed, so that it is possible to control the amount of air from the blowing means. Moreover, the air flow in the heating chamber 2 can be generated by the hot air fan 35 and the hot air motor 36 to stir the air in the heating chamber 2.

  The magnetron 54 installed below the heating chamber 2 generates microwaves and heats the food by irradiating the microwaves into the heating chamber 2 via the rotating antenna 55. Since the microwave distribution in the heating chamber 2 can be controlled by rotating the rotating antenna 55, the rotating chamber 55 is not provided in the heating chamber 2, and the table plate 21 is provided on the lower surface of the heating chamber 2.

  Further, the cooking device 1 of the present embodiment is also provided with a steam generating means 51, and the water stored in the tank 53 is sent to the steam generating means 51 by the pump 52, and the steam generating means 51 is driven. Steam can be generated and supplied into the heating chamber 2 together with the hot air by the hot air fan 35.

  The door 4 in front of the heating chamber 2 is provided with setting means 41. The user can set the cooking temperature in the cooking device 1 by operating the setting means 41 and can instruct the cooking method.

  Here, the position of the setting means 41 in the present embodiment is the door 4, but the position of the setting means 41 may be provided in a portion other than the door 4, and the position and operation method are not limited.

  Further, a temperature detecting means 32 is provided above the back surface of the heating chamber 2. The temperature detection means 32 can measure the temperature inside the heating chamber 2.

  In this embodiment, the position of the temperature detection means 32 is provided so as to be exposed above the back surface where hot air in the heating chamber 2 is easily detected. However, if the temperature in the heating chamber 2 can be measured, the position of the temperature detection means 32 is arranged. May be anywhere, and need not be exposed in the heating chamber 2.

  In the present embodiment, the temperature detection means 32 uses a component such as a thermistor that directly measures the air temperature. However, a sensor that measures the surface temperature in a non-contact manner such as an infrared sensor may be used. Any type of sensor can be used as long as the temperature in the heating chamber 2 can be measured.

  Here, in this embodiment, the food detection means 31 is provided on the right side surface of the heating chamber 2. The food detection means 31 shown in FIG. 1 is an open / close detection sensor using a mechanical switch that detects the opening / closing of the door 4, and can detect the presence / absence of food in and out by detecting the opening / closing of the door 4.

  In the present embodiment, the door 4 opening / closing detection sensor is used as the food detection means 31, but the food detection means 31 is not limited to the opening / closing detection sensor, and the weight sensor that detects the weight of the food also detects the position of the food. An ultrasonic sensor that detects the presence of food or an infrared light receiving sensor that detects the presence of food may be used.

  A table plate 21 is disposed below the heating chamber 2 and a shelf 22 is disposed on the side surface. When cooking food, the food can be placed on the table plate 21 provided below the heating chamber 2 for cooking, and the shelf 22 provided on the side of the heating chamber 2 It is also possible to perform cooking by installing a square plate and placing food on the square plate.

  Here, as in the present embodiment, in the method of detecting the presence or absence of food in and out using the open / close detection sensor, the food in and out is detected when cooking by putting a square dish on the shelf in the heating chamber 2. Can do.

  In oven cooking, in most cases, food is placed on a square plate and placed in a shelf in the heating chamber 2 for cooking. Therefore, the open / close detection means is suitable as the food detection means.

  In addition, since the door 4 is always opened and closed when the food is put, using the open / close detection sensor as the food detection means 31 is an effective method for reliably detecting that the food is stored. Power consumption can be reduced.

  Further, when only the door 4 is opened and closed and no food is put in, the control is performed by determining that the food is stored in the heating chamber 2, but there is no particular disadvantage for the user.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the control means 30 disposed in the machine room 3 receives inputs from the setting means 41, the temperature detection means 32, and the food detection means 31, and includes a hot air heater 34, a flat heater 33, a magnetron 54, and the like. It controls the heating means, the air blowing means such as the hot air fan 35 and the hot air motor 36, the steam generating means 51 and the like.

  In the heating cooker described above, before the food is put into the heating chamber 2, the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is preheated by heating means to the cooking temperature in advance, and then the food is put into the heating chamber 2 and the food is added. When cooking by heating, the food detection means 31 detects the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2, and based on the detection result, the control means 30 performs heating cooking to control the amount of heat of the heating means, thereby reducing the cooking time. Short cooking and reduced power consumption are possible.

  Hereinafter, the heating cooking method at the time of oven cooking is demonstrated along the control flowchart of FIG.

  First, the door 4 in front of the heating chamber 2 is closed, the cooking temperature is set by the setting means 41 shown in FIG. 2, the hot air heater 34 as the heating means, the flat heater 33, the hot air fan 35 as the air blowing means, The hot air motor 36 is driven to preheat the heating chamber 2 so that the temperature in the heating chamber 2 becomes the cooking temperature.

  At the time of preheating, since it is necessary to uniformly heat the inside of the heating chamber 2, the hot air fan 35 and the hot air motor 36 that are blowing means are always driven, and the hot air generated by the hot air heater 34 is circulated throughout the heating chamber 2. The air and the wall surface in the heating chamber 2 are heated by the flat heater 33.

  When the detected temperature in the heating chamber 2 exceeds the cooking temperature, preheating is terminated and the user is notified of the end of preheating. In this embodiment, the end of preheating is notified to the user by an indicator (not shown) provided on the door 4 or a buzzer sound on the control means 30, but the type and method of the notification means are not limited.

  After the preheating, the user opens the door 4 and stores the food in the heating chamber 2. The food may be placed on the table plate 21 or may be placed on the shelf 22 in a state of being placed on a square plate, and may be stored in the heating chamber 2 in a state suitable for the cooking state of each food.

  Here, when the food detection means 31 detects that the door 4 is opened and closed after the preheating is finished, it is determined that the food is stored in the heating chamber 2, and the heating cooking that maintains the cooking temperature by the heating means and the air blowing means. Enter the process.

  On the other hand, if it is detected by the food detection means 31 that the door 4 is not opened or closed even after the preheating is finished, it is determined that there is no food in the heating chamber 2, and the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature. The process of maintaining above two predetermined temperatures is entered.

  That is, there are many cases where the food is not immediately stored in the heating chamber 2 such as when the user is performing another cooking or the food is not prepared even after the preheating is completed. At this time, as described above, the process enters the step of maintaining the temperature in the heating chamber 2 below the first predetermined temperature and above the second predetermined temperature.

  Specifically, for example, power is not supplied to the heating unit and the air blowing unit, and the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is controlled to be equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature.

  Here, when the cooking temperature is set by the setting means 41, the first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature are defined by the control means 30 according to the cooking temperature, and the first predetermined temperature is a certain temperature range. The cooking temperature is included.

  The first predetermined temperature in the embodiment is a temperature of 10 ° C. from a temperature that is 5 ° C. lower than the cooking temperature to a temperature that is 5 ° C. higher than the cooking temperature. In particular, the temperature is not specified.

  The second predetermined temperature is a temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature. In the present embodiment, the second predetermined temperature is, for example, about 20 to 60 ° C. lower than the first predetermined temperature including the cooking temperature. However, the temperature difference between the cooking temperature and the second predetermined temperature is not particularly limited as long as it does not affect the cooking when the food is stored in the heating chamber 2. Here, in this embodiment, for example, when the cooking temperature is set to 200 ° C., the first predetermined temperature is, for example, 195 ° C. to 205 ° C., and the second predetermined temperature is, for example, 150 ° C.

  In the case of cooking in which the cooking temperature is set to 200 ° C., heating cooking suitable for cooking is possible by controlling the temperature within the first predetermined temperature of 195 to 205 ° C., and the second predetermined temperature is set to 150 ° C. By doing, heating chamber temperature change at the time of door 4 opening and closing can be made small, without affecting cooking.

  Here, for example, even if the second predetermined temperature is set to 190 ° C., which is 10 ° C. lower than the cooking temperature, the effect according to the present embodiment can be obtained, but the effect is higher than the case where the second predetermined temperature is 150 ° C. Becomes smaller.

  For example, when the second predetermined temperature is 120 ° C., which is 80 ° C. lower than the cooking temperature, the preheating holding temperature is too low, which may affect cooking of food.

  For example, when cooking temperature is 100 degreeC, 1st predetermined temperature is 95-105 degreeC, for example, and 2nd predetermined temperature is 80 degreeC, for example.

  Here, when the cooking temperature is 100 ° C., if the second predetermined temperature is set to 50 ° C., which is 50 ° C. lower than the first predetermined temperature, the heating chamber temperature at the time of preheating becomes excessively lower than necessary. The second predetermined temperature needs to be set to an appropriate temperature according to the set temperature and the first predetermined temperature.

  In the present embodiment, the first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature are different depending on the structure of the heating cooker 1 and may vary depending on the structure. When the cooking temperature is 200 ° C., for example, the first predetermined temperature only needs to include the cooking temperature of 200 ° C. even if the temperature is other than 195 to 205 ° C. The temperature may be 200 ° C. or less even at a temperature other than 150 ° C.

  Therefore, the second predetermined temperature is lower than the first predetermined temperature including the cooking temperature, and the temperature difference is not particularly defined as long as it does not affect the heating cooking, but is an appropriate temperature according to the cooking temperature. It is necessary to obtain a higher effect at a temperature as low as possible within a range that does not affect cooking.

  Moreover, while performing this control, the heating cooker 1 performs food presence / absence detection using the food detection means 31 at any time, and when the food detection means 31 detects that the door 4 is opened and closed after preheating is completed. Then, it is determined that the food is stored in the heating chamber 2, and immediately enters a cooking process in which the cooking temperature is maintained by the heating means and the air blowing means.

  Thereafter, when the temperature detected by the temperature detection means 32 reaches the second predetermined temperature, control is performed using the heating means and the air blowing means so that the temperature in the heating chamber 2 becomes the first predetermined temperature.

  Here again, the food detection means 31 detects the opening / closing of the door 4 as needed, and if the food detection means 31 detects the opening / closing of the door 4 on the way, the process immediately starts.

  If the food detection means 31 fails to detect the opening / closing of the door 4 until a certain time has elapsed after the preheating is finished, it is determined that the user has forgotten the preheating or that the preheating is no longer necessary, and the preheating and temperature holding are performed. finish. The fixed time specified here is the time from the end of preheating to the end of temperature holding, and is, for example, about 20 to 30 minutes.

  The above is the flow of the cooking method using the cooking device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

  Details and effects of this control method will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIGS. 5 and 6 are time changes of the air temperature T in the heating chamber 2 in the heating cooker 1 of the present embodiment, and FIG. 5 shows that food is constantly in the heating chamber 2 without the door 4 being opened and closed. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view showing the time change of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 when it does not exist, FIG. 6 is a case where food is stored in the heating chamber 2 in the middle of the process, and the food detection means 31 detects the opening / closing of the door 4 It is explanatory drawing which shows the time change of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 of.

  As shown in FIG. 5, until the temperature in the heating chamber 2 starts preheating and rises from the initial temperature to the cooking temperature, the heating means and the blowing means are always driven to supply hot air into the heating chamber 2 for heating. The air in the chamber 2 is stirred and heated.

  After the preheating is completed, power supply to the heating unit and the blowing unit is stopped until the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 reaches the second predetermined temperature.

  Thereafter, when the food detection unit 31 cannot detect the storage of the food until a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of heating, the holding of the preheating temperature is ended.

  On the other hand, in this control process, when food is stored by opening and closing the door 4 in the middle, the temperature in the heating chamber 2 changes as shown in FIG. That is, the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 decreases by ΔT1 by opening and closing the door 4 in the middle of maintaining the temperature after preheating.

  Here, in the conventional cooking device, as shown in FIG. 12, the heating room air temperature T decreases by ΔT by opening and closing the door 4, but in the heating cooking device 1 according to the present invention, the temperature decrease is ΔT1 as shown in FIG. Therefore, it is smaller than the temperature drop ΔT of the conventional cooking device, and ΔT> ΔT1.

  This is because, in the conventional cooking device, the air temperature is maintained at the cooking temperature after the end of preheating, but in the heating cooker 1 according to the present embodiment, the holding temperature after the end of preheating is lower than the conventional cooking temperature. This is because the temperature difference from the outside air is reduced, and the temperature of the air in the heating chamber 2 is hardly lowered.

  Here, when the temperature difference between the heating chamber 2 and the outside air is small, the reason why the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is difficult to decrease will be described. The heating chamber 2 is once heated unless there is a heat leak to the outside. If it is heated to the cooking temperature, the temperature is maintained at a constant temperature without heating by the heating means thereafter, so that no power consumption is required to maintain the temperature.

  However, in the actual heating chamber 2, since the heat heated by the heating means is discharged (heat leakage) to the outside from the outer surface of the cabinet 11, the exhaust port of the heating chamber 2, etc., the internal temperature is kept constant. For this, heating by a heating means is required.

  These heat leaks change due to the temperature in the heating chamber 2. The outer shell temperature of the cabinet 11 becomes higher as the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is higher. The amount of heat leaked at that time is roughly divided into natural convection heat transfer and heat radiation on the outer shell surface.

  The heat leakage due to natural convection heat transfer increases in proportion to the 0.25 of the temperature difference between the outer shell temperature of the cabinet 11 and the ambient air, and the lower the temperature in the heating chamber 2, the outer shell of the cabinet 11. Small heat leakage from That is, the heat leakage Q1 due to natural convection heat transfer is expressed by the following equation by the outer shell temperature Tw and the air temperature Ta. C is a constant.

Q1 = C (Tw-Ta) ^1/4
Further, the heat leakage due to heat radiation increases in proportion to the difference between the outer shell temperature of the cabinet 11 and the absolute temperature of the ambient air to the fourth power. The lower the outer shell temperature, the more drastically the heat leakage decreases. That is, the heat leakage Q2 due to heat radiation is expressed by the following equation by the outer shell temperature Tw and the air temperature Ta.

Q2 = C (Tw ⁴ −Ta ⁴ )
On the other hand, heat leakage from the exhaust port of the heating chamber 2 is also due to natural convection, and the higher the temperature in the heating chamber 2, the lower the density of the air and the lighter the air. Easier to escape.

  In addition, the air in the heating chamber 2 can easily escape to the outside of the heating chamber 2 when the door is opened.

  From the above, as the outer shell temperature of the cabinet 11 and the temperature in the heating chamber 2 are lower, heat leakage is less likely to occur, and the power consumption is easily reduced. That is, by reducing the temperature in the heating chamber 2, it is possible to reduce heat leakage from the heating cooker 1 and to reduce power consumption.

  Further, in the cooking device 1 according to the present embodiment, since the air temperature can be prevented from lowering, the return time t1 until the temperature returns to the cooking temperature after opening and closing the door as shown in FIG. 6 is the conventional cooking shown in FIG. Shorter than the return time t0 in the container, t0> t1.

  According to the results of the experiment, when the cooking temperature is set to 200 ° C. as described above, the conventional temperature recovery time t0 is about 12 minutes, t1 is about 9 minutes, and the effect of shortening about 3 minutes is achieved. can get. Moreover, since power of about 1400 W is used to drive the heating means in this 3 minutes, power of 1400 × 3/60 = 70 Wh is consumed, and by shortening the temperature recovery time by 3 minutes, It is possible to reduce the power consumption in the cooking process by 70 Wh.

  From the above, in this embodiment, the heating means and the air blowing means are controlled in accordance with the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2, and when no food is present in the heating chamber 2, the cooking temperature is included. By controlling the temperature in the heating chamber to be equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature that is lower than the first predetermined temperature, the cooking time can be reduced by ΔT− (subtract) ΔT1, and the power consumption in the cooking process can be reduced. .

  Here, the effect of reducing the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 and the effect of reducing the amount of power consumption are more effective as the cooking temperature is higher, and particularly effective when the cooking temperature is higher than about 200 ° C. Even if the cooking temperature is about 100 ° C., there is an effect of preventing a reduction in the temperature of the heating room air temperature, but the effect is low as compared with the case of about 200 ° C.

  Further, while the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is maintained at the first predetermined temperature, the heating means and the air blowing means are synchronized, so that when the heating means is stopped, the air blowing means is stopped at the same time, thereby heating the air. By reducing the fluctuation of the air temperature in the chamber 2 and shortening the driving time of the blower means, the amount of power consumption required for maintaining the temperature can be reduced.

  In the above embodiment, when the first predetermined temperature is maintained, the heating unit and the air blowing unit are synchronized. However, if the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is controlled to be equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature. It is not always necessary to synchronize.

  Further, in this embodiment, after preheating is finished, an example is shown in which power is not supplied to the heating means and the air blowing means when the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is kept below the first predetermined temperature and above the second predetermined temperature. However, if the amount of heat of the heating means is less than that at the time of preheating, an effect of reducing the amount of power consumption can be obtained. .

  FIG. 7 shows an example in which the amount of heat is changed by reducing the power supplied to the heating means after preheating.

  If the power supplied to the heating means is smaller than the power supplied at the time of preheating while the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is maintained at the second predetermined temperature or higher after the preheating is finished, the amount of heat of the heating means shown in FIG. The effect of the present embodiment can be obtained as in the case of.

  In addition, the time during which the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is maintained at the second predetermined temperature or less at a temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature is longer, but the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 detected by the temperature detecting means 32 is increased. Control is possible without problems.

  FIG. 8 shows an example in which the amount of heat of the heating means is changed halfway while the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 is maintained at a second predetermined temperature or higher after the preheating is completed. By switching the amount of heat of the heating means from low output to 0, the inclination of the air temperature in the heating chamber 2 with respect to time changes, and power consumption while maintaining the temperature below the first predetermined temperature and above the second predetermined temperature The amount can be reduced. The control of the amount of heat of the heating means is performed by the control means 30, and in order to take a timing for switching the amount of heat of the heating means, a control point temperature similar to the second predetermined temperature may be set as the predetermined temperature, The control point time may be set as a predetermined time based on the time from the start or the time from the end of preheating, and the control may be performed accordingly. Even with the heating means control as shown in FIG. 8, the same power consumption reduction effect as the control shown in FIGS. 5 and 7 can be obtained.

  When food is not stored after the preheating is finished, the air temperature in the heating chamber is conventionally controlled as shown in FIG. 12, but in the heating cooker 1 according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. Since the internal air temperature is controlled, it is possible to reduce power consumption until a certain time elapses.

  For example, when the cooking temperature is 200 ° C., it takes about 10 minutes for the air temperature in the heating chamber to drop to 150 ° C., which is the second predetermined temperature, after the preheating is completed, and electric power is not used during that time.

  As shown in FIG. 12, if the average power used for maintaining the heating room air temperature is 700 W, the power consumption is 700 W × 10/60 = 117 Wh because the power is not used for 10 minutes.

  Therefore, even when the cooking device 1 is left without storing food after completion of preheating, the power consumption used by the cooking device 1 can be greatly reduced as compared with the prior art.

  As described above, by controlling the heat quantity of the heating means and the air volume of the blower means, the heating cooker 1 according to the present invention can reduce the power consumption in the cooking process.

  In the above-described embodiment, the heating cooker 1 having a turntable-less structure without a turntable is used in the heating chamber 2, but a structure having a turntable in the heating chamber 2 may be used.

  A second embodiment of the cooking device according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  FIG. 9 is a side sectional view of the heating cooker 1 of the second embodiment, and FIG. 10 is a control sequence of the heating cooker 1.

  As shown in FIG. 9, the heating cooker 1 of this embodiment has a structure in which a heating chamber 2 and a machine room 3 arranged below the heating chamber 2 are covered with a cabinet 11.

  A door 4 is provided as an opening / closing portion in front of the heating chamber 2, and food is taken into and out of the heating chamber 2 by opening / closing the door 4. The door 4 is provided with setting means 41, and the cooking temperature and cooking time can be set by the setting means 41. The machine room 3 is provided with a control means 30 for controlling the heating means according to the cooking temperature and time set by the setting means 41.

  The heating cooker 1 of the present embodiment includes an upper heater 37 above the heating chamber 2 and a lower heater 38 below the heating chamber 2, and cooking food using the upper heater 37 and the lower heater 38 as heating means. Can be done.

  Here, in FIG. 9, the upper heater 37 is shown as a flat heater and the lower heater 38 is shown as a tube heater, but any type of heater may be used. Also, it is not necessary to install the heaters in two upper and lower positions, and only the upper heater 37, only the lower heater 38, or only other heaters may be used.

  In addition, a magnetron 54 and a rotating antenna 55 are disposed in the machine room 3 as heating means, and the microwave generated from the magnetron 54 is radiated while being diffused into the heating chamber 2 by the rotating antenna 55, thereby heating the chamber. It is possible to heat the food in 2.

  Further, food detection means 31 for detecting the opening / closing of the door 4 is provided on the side surface of the heating chamber 2, and the opening / closing of the door 4 is detected to detect that the food is stored in the heating chamber 2. Here, the food detection unit 31 is an open / close detection unit that detects the opening / closing of the door 4, but the food detection unit 31 is not limited to the open / close detection, and a food sensor such as a position sensor that detects the position of food or a weight sensor that detects the placement of food Any sensor can be used as long as it can detect the presence or absence.

  When cooking using the heating cooker of the present embodiment described above, the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is raised to the cooking temperature by the heating means before the food is put into the heating chamber 2, and then the food is put into the heating chamber 2. In the cooking method in which food is cooked, the cooking time is controlled by performing heating cooking in which the amount of heat of the heating means is controlled by the control means 30 based on the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber 2 detected by the food detection means 31. It is possible to cook by shortening the power consumption.

  Hereinafter, along with the control flowchart of FIG. 10, it shows about the heating cooking method at the time of performing oven cooking using the heating cooker of a present Example.

  First, the cooking temperature is set using the setting means 41 and a preheating start instruction is issued. The heating cooker 1 drives the upper heater 37 and the lower heater 38 as heating means by the control means 30 to heat the air in the heating chamber 2. Here, the air in the heating chamber 2 is agitated by natural convection caused by the heat from the upper heater 37 and the lower heater 38, and the air in the heating chamber 2 is uniformly heated.

  When it is detected by the temperature detection means 32 that the temperature in the heating chamber 2 has reached the set cooking temperature, the control means 30 determines that preheating has ended, and notifies the user of the end of preheating by display or sound.

  After the preheating is completed, the user opens the door 4 and stores the food in the heating chamber 2 for cooking. Here, when the door 4 is opened and closed after the preheating is finished, the food detection means 31 detects that food is present in the heating chamber 2, and the control means 30 drives the upper heater 37 and the lower heater 38 which are heating means. Then, heat cooking is performed at the cooking temperature set by the setting means 41.

  If the food detection means 31 does not detect the opening / closing of the door 4 even after the preheating is finished, it is determined that there is no food in the heating chamber 2, and the control means 30 determines whether the upper heater 37 and the lower heater 38 serving as the heating means are present. The amount of heat is controlled, and the temperature in the heating chamber 2 is maintained at a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature.

  Specifically, power is not supplied to the upper heater 37 and the lower heater 38 which are heating means, and the temperature in the heating chamber is controlled to be equal to or higher than a second predetermined temperature.

  Here, the first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature are defined by the control means 30 according to the cooking temperature when the cooking temperature is set by the setting means 41, and the first predetermined temperature has a certain temperature range. It has a cooking temperature. The second predetermined temperature is lower than the first predetermined temperature.

  The first predetermined temperature and the second predetermined temperature are set according to the cooking temperature. As in the first embodiment according to the present invention, the first predetermined temperature when the cooking temperature is 200 ° C., for example, is 195 to 205, for example. The effect of the present invention is obtained when the second predetermined temperature is 150 ° C., for example.

  In addition, while performing this control, the cooking device performs food presence / absence detection using the food detection means 31 at any time, and when the food detection means 31 detects that the door 4 has been opened and closed after preheating, It is determined that the food is stored in the heating chamber 2, and immediately enters a cooking process in which the cooking temperature is maintained by the heating means.

  Thereafter, when the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means 32 reaches the second predetermined temperature, the control means 30 controls the heating means so that the temperature in the heating chamber 2 becomes the first predetermined temperature.

  Here again, the food detection means 31 detects the opening / closing of the door 4 as needed, and if the food detection means 31 detects the opening / closing of the door 4 on the way, the process immediately starts.

  If the food detection means 31 fails to detect the opening / closing of the door 4 until a certain time has elapsed after the preheating is finished, it is determined that the user has forgotten the preheating or that the preheating is no longer necessary, and the preheating and temperature holding are performed. finish.

  The above is the flow of the cooking method using the cooking device 1 according to the second embodiment. By using this control method, even in the heating cooker 1 having only heating means as in the present embodiment, heating is performed when the door 4 is opened and closed by controlling the temperature in the heating chamber as in the first embodiment. The indoor temperature can be prevented from rapidly decreasing, cooking time can be shortened, and power consumption in the cooking process can be reduced. In addition, the time change of the heating room air temperature T in the cooking process and the details of the control method are the same as those in FIG.

It is a perspective sectional view of the cooking-by-heating machine by the 1st example of the present invention. It is side surface sectional drawing of the heating cooker by the same 1st Example. FIG. 3 is a control block diagram according to the first embodiment. It is a control sequence by the first embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the air temperature change in the heating chamber of the cooking-by-heating machine by the 1st Example. It is a figure which shows the air temperature change in a heating chamber in the case of opening and closing the door of the heating cooker by the same 1st Example, and accommodating a foodstuff. It is explanatory drawing which shows the air temperature change in a heating chamber at the time of changing the calorie | heat amount of the heating means of the heating cooker by the same 1st Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the air temperature change in a heating chamber at the time of switching the heat quantity of the heating means of the heating cooker by the same 1st Example. It is side surface sectional drawing of the cooking-by-heating machine by the 2nd Example. It is a control sequence of the cooking device according to the second embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the air temperature change in the heating chamber of the conventional heating cooker. It is explanatory drawing which shows the other air temperature change of the heating chamber of the conventional heating cooker.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heating cooker 2 Heating chamber 3 Machine room 4 Door 21 Table plate 30 Control means 31 Food detection means 32 Temperature detection means 33 Planar heater 34 Hot air heater 35 Hot air fan 36 Hot air motor 37 Upper heater 38 Lower heater 41 Setting means 51 Steam generation Means 54 Magnetron 55 Rotating antenna

Claims (5)

A heating chamber for storing food and cooking,
Heating means for heating the heating chamber;
Setting means for setting at least the cooking temperature and cooking time of the heating chamber;
Food detection means for determining the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber;
Temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature in the heating chamber;
Control means for controlling the heating means,
In a heating cooker for heating cooking by putting the food in the heating chamber after raising the temperature in the heating chamber to the cooking temperature set by the setting means by the heating means before putting the food in the heating chamber,
A first predetermined temperature having a predetermined temperature range for maintaining the air temperature in the heating chamber according to the cooking temperature set by the setting means;
Having a second predetermined temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature;
After detecting that the temperature in the heating chamber has reached the cooking temperature of the food by the temperature detection means, the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber is detected by the food detection means,
When food is present in the heating chamber, the amount of heat of the heating means is controlled by the control means so that the temperature in the heating chamber is within the first predetermined temperature range,
When there is no food in the heating chamber, the heating means controls the amount of heat of the heating means so as to be equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature.   After detecting that the temperature in the heating chamber has reached the cooking temperature by the temperature detecting means, based on the presence or absence of food storage detected by the food detecting means, the control means controls the amount of heat of the heating means and the air blowing means. The cooking device according to claim 1, wherein the amount of air is controlled. After detecting that the temperature in the heating chamber has reached the cooking temperature by the temperature detection means, detect the presence or absence of food in the heating chamber by the food detection means,
When there is no food in the heating chamber, the air flow rate of the blowing unit is controlled by the control unit so that the temperature in the heating chamber is not less than the second predetermined temperature and not more than the first predetermined temperature. The heating cooker according to claim 2, wherein   The cooking device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the food detection means is an opening / closing detection means of an opening / closing part for taking food in and out of the heating chamber.   The heating according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means drives the heating means and the air blowing means in synchronization to maintain the temperature in the heating chamber at a first predetermined temperature. Cooking device.

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